Trailer for motor vehicles



. 6, 1949 D. 1'. DE v. BRAND TRAILER FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed March 7, 1947 INVEN'I'OR.

DA/V/[l 70's 1 BRA/V0 IITTORNEY Patented Dec. 6, 1949 TRAILER FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Daniel Tobias de Villiers Brand, Johannesburg, Transvaal, Union of South Africa Application March 7, 1947, Serial No. 733,087 In the Union of South Africa January 14, 1947 1 Claim.

This invention relates to trailers adapted to be directly secured to the back of motor vehicles.

The object of this invention is to provide a trailer, adjustable in length and variable in capacity, and which is formed by an extension of the back of a motor vehicle.

A further object is to support the rear end of the trailer by a spring mounted castor wheel.

A still further object is to provide means for firmly securing the trailer without excessive rattle in any suitably extended or closed position.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. I is a perspective view of the trailer partly in section.

Fig. II is a smaller view of part of a motor car with the trailer stowed in the rear portion.

Fig. III is a section on AA Fig. I and,

Figs. IV and V are details.

The body I of the trailer consists of a number of sections 2, 3, 4, 5, approximately equal in length and graded in width to telescope into each other.

The first section 2 is usually of box-like form adapted to fit into the luggage box 6, modified if necessary, of a motor car I and is secured to the floor 8 thereof. Its sides 9 are channel shaped at Ill in section to allow the side I I of the next section 3 to slide therein. The sides I I of the intermediate section 3 not only have the channels III but rigid side members I2 to slide in the channels III of the preceding section. The last section 5 has rigid side members I2 adapted to slide in the channels It in the sides I3 of the preceding section 4. It also has an end plate I4 to which may be secured a divided bumper I5, tail light I6 and number plate II.

Suitably positioned locking means I8 are provided to hold the telescoping parts of the trailer I in a closed or in any desired extended position. There is also a retractable castor wheel I9 positioned on the rear end plate I4 of the last section 5. The castor wheel I9 supports the trailer I when it is sufficiently extended to require such support. I

The front box-like section 2 may be rigidly secured to the fioor 8 of the luggage box 6 suitably reinforced for this purpose. Alternatively said section 2 may be mounted on a hinge 26 on the floor 8 at the rear of the luggage box 6 and when the trailer I is extended it is held horizontal as a cantilever by the pressure of springs 2| so as to allow for vertical movement of the end 22 of the trailer I if excessively uneven surfaces are encountered in travelling.

As stated above the first section 2 is box-like.

2 The intermediate and rear sections 3, 4, 5, are in the form of open topped troughs 23 with flat floors 24. The vertical sides of the troughs each consist of a narrow girder-like structure I2 carrying spring mounted anti-friction bearings 25 on its top and bottom surfaces 26. These narrow girder-like structures I2 are made a sliding fit in channels I0 formed in the sides of the preceding,

trough.

Stops 21 are provided to limit the outward sliding movement of the different troughs 23 and are so positioned that there is a sufficient length of the girders I2 left in the channels Ill to provide a good bearing surface. These stops 2'! are preferably in the form of transverse strips 28, 29 secured to the floors 24 of the different troughs such that when the trailer is fully extended a strip 28 on the bottom surface of the floor 24 of each trough butts against a corresponding strip 29 on the top surface of the floor 24 of the trough immediately preceding it.

The trough or troughs when pulled out are secured against inward movement by any suitable means. For example pins 31! may be passed into the channel I0 and may extend into sockets in the girder-like sides I2 above described. The

troughs are braced in such position by means of stays which may take the form of two chains 3I- or cables connecting the rear of trough 5 to the top of the luggage box 6; tensioning of the chains 3| tends to collapse the telescoping parts, the pins 30 however, prevent such movement and the structure is thereby securely braced. The chains 3| may be tensioned by any suitable device such as a turnbuckle or a screw threaded spindle 41 working in a fixed nut. In the latter case as indicated in Fig. I the end of the spindle 41 has a collar 48 rotatably secured to it. The collar 48 is connected to a suitable hook 49 to engage the chain 3| and is adapted to move in guides 50 secured to the floor 24 of the end trough 5. The end plate I4 has an aperture 5| to enable a suitable cranked handle to be inserted therein to rotate the spindle 41.

The castor wheel I9 providing a support for the rear end of the trailer I is positioned in or on the rear plate I4 of the rear trough 5. Said wheel I9 will normally only be required when the trailer I is extended beyond a certain length and it is conveniently made retractable. This may be done by mounting the wheel I9 in fork 32 the shank of which is pivoted between the prongs 33 of a second fork 34. Fork 34 terminates in a vertical swivel joint 35 at the end of a pillar 35 adapted to turn transverse to its length on a pin 31 when the locking pin 38 releases it. Springs 39 allow the wheel I 9 to carry its load resiliently. The Whole mechanism for wheel I9 is carried by a suitable bracket 40 secured to the rear trough 5. When wheel [9 is to be retracted pin 38 is released and the wheel can be swung up to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. IV.

An extensible locking plate '45! is secured within the box-like section 2 in which the nested trailer I is carried. A handle 42 which may be locked against unwarranted use, operates thelocking plate M to extend it transversely of the trailer I when it is made to lock the unwithdrawn Letters :Patent is:

troughs in the box-like compartment 2, by means of the outwardly projecting tongues -48 which engage the slots 44 in the sides :of the troughs 3, .4 or 5. project above the compartment, the operation of which serves to clamp down on the top edges 26 of the trailer sections 3, 4, 5, to lock them against rattle.

When the trailer i is required. for use the handle 2 operating the extensible docking plate 4-! holding t'h'e troughs inftheir closed position,

is turned and the trailer :1 pulled out to the desired extent. 'The caster Wheel &9 may now be lowered and the lo'cking pin 38 fitted in pos'ition. The-chains 34 'onc'ables'are then placed in position and tensioned. It will be understood that in addition to braein'g the structure the chains 31 ailso serve'to support, to some extent, the rear end o'f the trailer 1. The extensible locking plate 4! ab'ov'e me'ntioned is operated to leek the it'rougjhs, mot Withdrawn, in position in the box lik'e section and "openings "43 are provided "for this purpose.

When the trailer is no longer required, the tension on the chains -'or -cables "3 1 is released, the pins removed and the rear 5 troughs '3, '4, 5,

pushed inwards. A stop M5 -projecting on --each In addition suitable set screws 43 may ill) A trailer for .a road motor vehicle having a -rearwardly opening storage compartment comprising in series and overlapping relation to each other, va box ilike structure to fit in said com- :partment, zone .br'm'ore intermediate troughs and an end trough, inwardly extending channels on the inner vertical sides of the box and intermediate troughs, rigid side members secured along the outer horizontal sides of the intermediate troughs and the end trough, said side members slidably engaging the channels on the trough or box immediatelyprecedi-ng them, stops limiting the outward movement of the troughs, a closure plate for the storage compartment mounted on 'and closing the final trough and means for supporting the rear end of thetrailer comprising a retractable spring mounted castering road wheel mounted at the rear of the-final trough.

- DANIEL 'TGBIAS DE VILLIER'S BRAND.

REFERENCES CITED .The iollowing references are .of record in the file of this .patent:

UNITED STA'DES 'aRATENTS Number Name Date 1.3662771 Devencen'zi .Jan. 125, 1921 "1,452,394 .Simon .Apr. 1.7,, .1923 1,467,195 Quackenbush Sept. 4, .1923 1,538,740 Johnson g June I5, 1926 1,529,403 Manwahn .May 1,7, .1927 225435? .Marney M Sept. .2, 19.41 27,328,138 "Crosser n Aug. 31, .1943

FOREIGN lPAEEENTS Number Country Date 19311 Australia May ,1, .1930 

